THE COUNTRY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1787, 20 February 1886, Page 11

THE COUNTRY.

Some 12,800 acres in Nenthorn district are gazetted as being sot apart for leasing as a small grazing run.

The North Otago Times states that Messrs Arkle and Haynes will contest the Moeraki seat with Mr M'Kenzie at the next election.

The total value of ratable property in the Waihumo county is £424,574. Last year the valuation was £16(5.438. The depreciation thus amounts to £41,864.

. Afc a public meeting held at Roxburgh, presided over by tho Mayor, a committee was formed to co-operate with others in the Dunstan dKtiict for this purpc-SH of getting up a testimonial to Mr V. Pyke, M.H.R.

Mvssrs Alfred Cassidy, William Highet, James Miller, Jinnee Runeiman, and Daniel Walters were declared elected as the Licensing Commit too for thi? Green Island licensing district. Under " The New Zealand State Forests Act 1885," the chairmen of county councils are appointed conservators of State forests within their county.

Rpftiou:! numbered respectively from 9 to 55. block I, township cf Glenore, and section 25, block TV, Hawksbury, are taken under the Public Works Act for railway purposes. John Templeton, merchant, Wyudham, has been declared a bankrupt. Tho liabilities are vaid to be heavy, £10,000 being named as the figures. The assets are supposed to be of considerable value. The heaviest creditors are Dunedin firms.

A number of sly grog-selling cases by persons residing at Nenthorn came before the Police Court on Thursday, and two of the defendants were fined £15 each and costs, with the alternative of a month's imprisonment. Other cases, the nature of which did not transpire, are to come before the Court next week.

Nominations for the Outram licensing district were received on Friday, when Lhe following were nominated :— Messrs Alexander Chisholm, Alexander Dow, Peter Grant, William Grant, James M'Brearty, James Shand, Arthur Thomas White. A poll will bo taken on the 20th.

Mr Walter Prince, electrician at the Phoenix mine, met with a very serious accident on his way to Skippers on Friday. Mr Bullen (owner of the Phoenix mine, Skippers), Mr Evans (tho manager), Mr Prince (electric engineer), and Mr Robert Wilson had started for Skippers in the morning. Mr Prince's horse bolted and threw him, fracturing his skull.

The nomination of candidates to serve as the Licensing Committee for the Portobcllo licensing district was held on Thursday, at the Road Board Office, when the following gentlemen were nominated and declared duly elected, there being only the required number nominated — Messrs W. Garrick. Joseph Young, W. A. Wilson, Thomas Porterfield, and David Hughes. Mrs Marshall, who was received into the Hospital from Hawksbury about a mouth ago suffering from severe burns received by her dress catching fire while asleep, having dropped oft' leaving a candle burning, died in the Hospital on Saturday night. She was a widow, and leaves a family of five children. Steps are being taken by some kind friends to do something for tho child-Ten.

A four-roomed cottage at Buvneido was burnt down on Friday afternoon. It war. owned and occupied by a carpenter named

James Campbell. The fire was caused by sparks from a boiler-fire which Mrs Campbell had ignited. The building was mortgaged tothe Dunedin Finance, Loan, and Agency Company, who had insured it for £170. Mr I. N. Watt, coroner, held an inquest at Outram on Friday on the body of a mannamed Donald M'Lellan, who was killed at the Deep Stream cutting on the Otago Central railway on Tuesday. From the evidence it appeared that the deceased was levering a piece of rock out of the side of the cutting with a crowbar, when the bar slipped and he fell a distance of 40 or 50 feet, and the rock rolled over him. The jury, without retiring, returned a- verdict of "Accidental death/ •

The following tenders have been received for the Roxburgh bridge superstructure contract : — Accepted .- Doulby and Millar, Outram, £334(7. Declined: J. Drimming, Alexandra, £3353; J. M'Corraick, Dunedin, £3550 ; E. S. Sparrow and Co., Dunedin, £3882; Campbell and Hornby, Dunedin, £4080 ; H. M'Kenzio and Co., Ashburton, £4227; Black and Allison, Dunedin,, £4365 ; J. Walker, Invercargill, £4367. The railway excursion for Oamaru, to Otekaike on Friday proved a most successf ulaff air , fully 500 persons travelling by the train from Oamaru and the side stations. The Hon. R. Campbell and Mrs Campbell entertained the excursionists right royally, for in addition to providing a luncheon for all who chose to avail themselves of it, and otherwise ministering to the comfort and enjoyment of the holiday-makers, they specially engaged the Oamarn Garrison Band to accompany ike excursion and play throughout the day. Notwithstanding the intense heat, a most enjoyable day was opent. The Minister of Mines, after inspecting the gold-workings at Tapanui, received a deputation headed by the Mayor, who asked for a subsidy for further prospecting. The Minister said that i£ Parliament voted any sum next session he would see tbat the Tapanui district gat a fair share of the vote". It was false that he had said at Waikaia recently that it solely depended on the new loan whether districts would get assistance from Government or not. He never had made a promise that he did not intend to redeem. He could not pledge the country to any expenditure, but if Parliament voted sums he would endeavour to see them equitably expended. A party of five Chinamen, wprking an alluvial claim at Kyefturn, are reported to have had it; robbed on the night of January 24. It appears that the party were washing-up, and one of them, named Ah Sow, was set to watch th« claim at night ; he, however, went to sleep, and others of the party coming to relieve him found that the tail-race had been robbed, and gold to the value of £80 taken. Ah Sow has gone out of his mind, and is now an inmate of the Lunatic Asylum. The assumption (says the Dunstan Times) is that he must have been drugged. An accident which had a fatal termination occurred at Nenthorn on Friday evening. A man named Frank Park was engaged, along: with eight others, in blasting operations, and. ifc appears that each man had to fire a separate blast at the same .time. About 5 o'clock on Friday evening the men proceeded to ignite the fuses attached to each blast, and each one managed to light his fuse with the exception of Park. He, however, ran away with the rest; and presently there was an explosion, and ife was thought that the eight blasts had gone off. Park then returned to light the fuse which he had not succeeded in lighting before,' but, unfortunately, one of the other blasts, which had hung fire, exploded, and Park was blown up. His mates subsequently found him lying on the ground, with a large piece of rock on top of him, which it took eight men to remove with crowbars. On the rock being removed, the unfortunate man was found to be very much crushed. He was taken to his hut, and died about five hours afterwards. . A deputation, consisting of Messrs Fulton, Crosbie, Bradmore, Bench, Allen, and Pickens, waited upon the Hon. Mr Ballance as he passed through Lumsden on Friday, 12th inst., on his way to the Lake district (says the Southland Times), and brought several matters of local interest under the Minister's notice. The Waimea railway rate and its effect upon the district was first spoken of. Mr Ballance, in reply, held out no hopes of the line being taken over by the Government unless further great concessions were made by the Company. The matter of getting thrown open a large education reserve lying between South Lumsden and Josephville, consisting of about 1000 acres, and at present occupied by the N.Z. Agricultural Company, was talked over. The Minister suggested bringing the matter before the Government. The fact that Lumsden, being built on education reserve ground, contains a reserve section for every freehold, so that they run alternately, one freehold, one leasehold, was referred to. The Minister considered the best way was to get the leasehold converted into perpetual leases and to get. the member for Hokonui to lay the matter before the Government.

A meeting was held on Friday (writes our I'ortobello correspondent) to consider the practicability of making a bridge from Waverley to Dunedin. The meeting was called as a special meeting of the Road Board, but only Messrs Macandrew, Dickson, Anderson, and Duckmanton were present. The meeting was of a qtiasi public nature. Mr Begg was present to represent the Peninsula Road Board, and laid a plan before the meeting, which was discussed. A plan was also laid before the Board by Mr Macandrew, and this was also discussed. The scheme, as proposed by Mr Begg, was to start an embankment from the Peninsula end of the Anderson's Bay bridge, and also to run an embankment from about Waverley, which would meet at a point midway between and at about opposite the present watering-trough, something like 20 chains out, and then to run an open bridge over the remaining distance to Dunedin, to terminate at Jetty street, and leading to the overbridge. The plan was f ally considered, and it was decided to have more fullymatured plans made and estimates drawn up as to the eofib of the proposed undertaking, and lay the matter before the various bodies interested at their first meetings. It was also decided that Messrs Macandrew and Dickson, Portobello Board, meet with Messrs Begg and White, of the Peninsula Board, to consider the matter. A vote of thanks was passed to Mr Macandrew for presiding, and also to Mr Begg for the information he had given. This terminated the meeting.

Two boys, named Gibson and Stuok, wen into the bush near Riverton to obtain saplings They went close to a burning tree, the top par' of which fell, striking both lads. Gibson, whos& body was literally smashed, died instantly, but Stuck escaped with a broken ley. Out of sympathy to Gibson, a number of lads, amongst whom was Joseph Richards, about 12 years of age, attended tho funeral on Friday. Returning, tho hot day suggested a bathe in a sort of lagoon or hole on the bank of the river, and some live or six lad.-,, nono of \y.hom were over 14 years of age, proceeded to a spot about midway between tho Yellow Bluff and the targets. Richards (says the Riverton Star) could swim a short distance, and had crossed over to the

opposite side, but in returning he got into difficulties and sank in about 6ft of water. A lad named Nickless pluckily attempted a rescue, «ad he actually got hold of Richards, but he had not strength to get him into shallow water. Only a very short distance away some members of the Rifle Corps •were practicing at the targets, and had assistance been there sought for immediately upon deceased getting into difficulties, he would in all probability ha^e been saved; but doubtless in the excitement the lads lost their presence or mind, and when deceased sank, instead of running up to the target in their naked stale, they delayed to dress. Mr E. Stevens, who was marking at the butts, was the first to be informed of the accident, and he quickly proceeded to the spot, and without loss of time he succeeded in recovering the body of deceased, after it had been about a-quarter of an hour in the water. Efforts were made by Mr Stevens and others' to restore animation, but after persevering for an hour and a-half the attempt was given up as useless, and the body was taken home. Mr Richards was absent at Mataura at the time.

(Fboji Our Own Correspondents.)